A soaring competition is a race, and the winner is the one who goes the fastest. Racing without an engine? Be serious! Soaring competitions ARE serious, with competitors pitting their knowledge of the sport against other pilots and the elements to determine a champion. There is beauty as sleek gliders go flat out for the finish line, drama as pilots fly courses of hundreds of miles each day, and the thrill of victory for the champion--often attained by the slimmest of margins. Competitive soaring is dramatic and heady stuff, understood by only a few but fascinating to many.

A soaring competition is a race, and the winner is the one who goes the fastest. Racing without an engine? Be serious! Soaring competitions ARE serious, with competitors pitting their knowledge of the sport against other pilots and the elements to determine a champion. There is beauty as sleek gliders go flat out for the finish line, drama as pilots fly courses of hundreds of miles each day, and the thrill of victory for the champion--often attained by the slimmest of margins. Competitive soaring is dramatic and heady stuff, understood by only a few but fascinating to many.

John Seaborn (aka A8) put together the following introduction to soaring contests.